As Xcel said in a billboard near the capital, beware, powerlines kill.  That was a safety reminder for people climbing on their roofs, but now it’s a terrible fact for a construction worker on the CapX 2020 transmission project.

KARE 11 – with film clip of site:

Worker dies after construction mishap near New Prague

In the STrib:

1 killed, 1 injured while working on power line construction near New Prague

Updated: August 14, 2013 – 12:08 PM

One man was killed and at least one other was injured Wednesday morning while working on the CapX2020 power line construction project near New Prague in Scott County, authorities said.

Randy Fordice, a spokesman for Great River Energy, said crews were digging a hole about 50 feet deep for the foundation of a power pole. The workers were on the ground outside the hole and were attached to a harness with straps attached to a very large piece of concrete when the accident happened. They were part of the crew preparing for concrete to be poured into the hole.

A piece of the safety gear broke, Fordice said, and the two men fell into the hole.

“We’re trying to figure out what happened, what piece of equipment failed and why,” he said late Wednesday morning.

The surviving worker had injuries to his extremeties and was taken by helicopter to a local hospital. The other man died at the scene.

The accident happened at 8:50 a.m. along County Road 2 between Drexel Avenue and Hwy. 21. Authorities are still investigating the accident, Fordice said.

On Monday, helicopters began stringing heavy-duty transmission lines on the CapX2020 project, which involves 250 miles of high-voltage line between Brookings County, S.D., and Dakota County. Wednesday’s accident did not involve that portion of the construction.

On KMSP TV with film clip too:

1 killed, 1 injured in New Prague construction hole fall

On KEYC Mankato:

Worker dies on workplace accident near New Prague